Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-11-26

hip pocket, and, under the strong light of the
lantern, laid it on spot in the road indicated
by the voice. A thick envelope, taken from
his breast pocket, was laid beside it. II told
the d-d fools that gave it to me, instead of
sending it by express, it would be at their
own risk, !" he said apologetically
.As it's going with the express now it's all
the same,p said the inevitable humorist of the
occasion, pointing o the despoiled express
treasure box already in the road
The intention and deliberation of the out
rage was plain enough to Hale's inexperience
now Yet he could not understand the cool
acquiescence of his fellow passengers, and
was furious His reflections were interrupted
by . voice which seemed to come from
greater distance He fancied it was even
softer in tone, as If certain austerity was
relaxed.
"Step In as quick as you like, gentlemen.
You've five minutes to wait, Bill"
The passengers re-entered the coach; the
driver and express messenger hurriedly
climbed to their places Hale would have
spoken, but an impatient gesture from his
companions stopped him. They were evi-
IDENTIFY listening for something; he listened
too.
Yet the silence remained unbroken 1t
seemed incredible that there should be no iri-
dication near or far of that forceful presence
which moment ago had been so dominant
No rustic in the wayside "brush" nor echo
from the rocky canyon below betrayed a
sound Of their flight, A faint breeze stirred
the tall tips of the pines, cone dropped on
the stage roof, one Of the invisible horses,
that seemed to be listening too, moved slight
ly in his harness. But this only appeared to
accentuaSe the profound stiffness. The mo-
ments were growing interminable, when the
voice, so near as to startle Hale, broke once
more from the surrounding obscurity.
"Good night"
1t was the signal that they were free. The
drivers whip cracked like a pistol shot, the
horses sprang furiously forward, the huge We
hicle lurched ahead and then bounded vio-
lently after them. When Hale could make
his voice heard in the confusion-a confusion
which seemed greater from the colorless in
| tensity Of their last few moments experience
he said hurrfedly, "Then that fellow was
| there all the timei"
II reckon" returned his companion, "he
stopped five minutes to cover the driver with
his double barrel, until the two other men
got off with the treasure"
"The two others!' gasped Hale "Then
there were only three men, and we six"
The man shrugged his shoulders The pas
senger who had given up the greenbacks
drawled, with slow, irritating tolerance,
II reckon you're stranger herer
II am--to this sort Of thing, certainly,
though live dozen miles from here at Ea-
giles Court" returned Hale scornfully.
"Then you're the chap that's doin' that
fancy ranchin' over at Eagles" continued
the man lazily.
"Whatever I'm doing at Eagles Court Pm
not ashamed Of it," said Hale tartly; "and
that's more than l can say Of what I've done
or haven't done-to-night. I've been one of
six men overawed and robbed by three"
"As to the overawin', ez you call it-meb-
be you know more about it than us. As to
the robbin'-ez far as I kin remember, you
haven't onloaded much. Ef you're talkin
about what oughter've been DONE I'll tell you
what could have happened. P'r'aps ye no
ticed that when he pulled up made kind
Of grab for my Weeping behind me"
@I did; and you weren't quick enough"
said Hale shortly.
~ wasn't quick enough, and that saved
you. For eff got that pistol out and in sight
O that man that held the gun -"
"Well," said Hale impatiently, "he'd have
hesitated"
He'd hev blown you with both barrels
outer the window, and that before I'd got
half cock on my revolver"
"But that would have been only one man
gone, and there would have been five of you
left,p said Hale haughtily.
'That might have been eff you'd contracted
to take the hull charge of two, handfuls OF
buckshot and slugs; but ez one-eighth of that
amount would have done your business, and
yet left enough to have gone round, promis-
kiss, and satisfied the other passengers, it
wouldn't do to kalkilate upon"
"But the express messenger and the driver
were armed" continued Hale.
"They were armed. but. not fixed; that
makes all the difference"
~ don't understand"
"I reckon you know what duel isf
eyes"
~Well, the chances agin us was about the
same as you'd have eff you was put up agin
another chap who was allowed to draw ii
bead on you, and the signal to fire was your
drawin' your weapon. You may be &
stranger to this sort O. thing, and p'r'aps you
never fought duel, but even then you
wouldn't go foolin' your life away ON any
such chances"
| Something In the mans manner, as IN
certain sly amusement the other passengers
! appeared to extract from the conversation,
impressed Hale, already beginning to be con-
scious of the ludicrous insufficiency of his own
! grievance beside that of his interlocutor.
aThen you mean to say this thing is in
evitable," said he bitterly, but less aggres-
| SiyalV